Would a Chicago to Calgary, AB Passenger Train be viable?

And of course, if we are talking only economics, very few passenger trains are viable. Exceptions such as the Rocky Mountaineer succeed by marketing the trip as a cruise experience at VERY expensive ticket prices. But then, most other forms of transport are also subsidised but less visibly.

One area that the Rocky Mountaineer exceeds expectations compared to Amtrak is with the additional packages you can buy, extended hotel stays, side excursions and the like. RM makes money on all that stuff and at the end of paying and taking one of the side packages you feel as though you got value for your money that you spent. For example, extend a night at the Fairmont Banff or Fairmont Lake Louise..........cheaper via RM than doing it yourself at the front desk.

Now go and open the Amtrak vacations / vacation packages brochure and what do you see. Ho-hum, and you can probably do a lot better financially on your own.

This is where Amtrak consistently looses in perception and in capturing additional revenue. It's marketing is targeted towards the budget traveler and it's offerings reflect that (one could argue so do the lack of any profit). Yet look at who rides Amtrak........is it really the budget traveler or is it well above the budget traveler looking for a different experience or change of pace. So I would argue that Amtrak does not know the market as well as RM does.

I believe is from Chicago gto Winnepeg
I believe a route that needs exploring is from Chicago to Winnipeg on CN lines through Wisconsin and up through Northern Minnesota. Think about it, we have only 4 rail passenger links across the entire border with Canada and once past lower Michigan the Next one is way out in NW Washington state. I think it would boost both Amtrak and Via in ridership. Jay J. Ruediger, Up North.

The last service from the United States to Winnipeg was a stub run from Grand Forks which connected with the "Empire Builder" or "Western Star" and was discontinued on April 30, 1971. That says a lot about the demand for such a service even with a connection to St. Paul.

The daily commute is part of everyday life but I get two rides a day out of it.
Paul

But that's not the issue. The first issue is "will it boost both Amtrak and VIA ridership enough to pay for the service net of all Government incentives" and the following issue, really just as important, is "will the ridership be consistent enough to sustain the train, seasonally and yearly, without losing excessive money at off times". I can't really imagine trains on that route, even operated with a modern equivalent of RDCs, doing either.

But that's not the issue. The first issue is "will it boost both Amtrak and VIA ridership enough to pay for the service net of all Government incentives" and the following issue, really just as important, is "will the ridership be consistent enough to sustain the train, seasonally and yearly, without losing excessive money at off times". I can't really imagine trains on that route, even operated with a modern equivalent of RDCs, doing either.

Agreed. Amtrak subsidies should be reserved for necessary services. As CMStPnP pointed out earlier, this seems like a service that the well-off seek as something akin to a land cruise as in Rocky Mountaineer with deluxe service and fares. Leave that to the private sector.

Winnipeg does sound like a better route. Start out dropping / adding cars to the Empire Builder at best location. If arrivel times good at Winnipeg then connections to both Canadians and the Church Hill trains. Need to have lots of schedule slop connecting to VIA departing Winnipeg.

We still have the problem of getting funds for equipment for the service. This equipment would have to be assigned equipment to this route not the common US equipment. This is because an additional problem is the equipment would need additional wiring and switching equipment to be compatible with VIA and Amtrak HEP equipment.

Do not believe VIA would allow Amtrak equipment with out it being able to have a substitute loco(s) to power train.

VIA's HEP come in on the forward left side of cars, is routed to the car's electric bus and exits on right rear. Right front HEP passes thru car and exits left rear without normally supplying car. But that route supplys the next car that connects on its left side. That way every other car is supplied from one side or other of loco consist. That is why VIA can operate such long HEP Canadians That is when two locos provide each == half HEP to train. If one route of VIA HEP fails switching equipment in each left side powered car allows HEP from other route.

Amtrak connects each HEP side in each car to a common bus but each side can be isolated == left or right train route if a failure of one route.

Yes if Amtrak would use the VIA HEP system on the Auto train Amtrak could have many more passenger cars with 2 P-40s each providing half the HEP demand load.

Amtrak does not have the Money or Superliners Cars, to Start a New Service like this. Amtrak is luckly to have just enough Superliners cars for service they have Now in 2017. Amtrak needs more Superliners cars for any new service.

It's marketing is targeted towards the budget traveler and it's offerings reflect that (one could argue so do the lack of any profit). Yet look at who rides Amtrak........is it really the budget traveler or is it well above the budget traveler looking for a different experience or change of pace. So I would argue that Amtrak does not know the market as well as RM does.

Except in this case Amtrak's primary clientel is the budget traveler so perhaps they do know their market better than you think. Look at it this way, sleeper cars are added and deducted from train consists depending on the season, not so much with coaches...why do you think that is?

The last service from the United States to Winnipeg was a stub run from Grand Forks which connected with the "Empire Builder" or "Western Star" and was discontinued on April 30, 1971. That says a lot about the demand for such a service even with a connection to St. Paul.

When friends and I rode CP from Winnepeg we flew there via Northwest Orient airlines, this was in 1974. Then took CP Canadian to Banff in old time Pullman berths with curtains made into a couch during day and stayed 5 days taking Grey Line tours to Lake louise and Icefields. On to Vancouver, going thru the Spiral Tunnels, ferry to Victoria Returned via CN Super Continental in a day-nighter car with nice reclining seats, it was upgrade from reg coach. Spent a couple of days at Jasper Park lodge and back to Winnepeg to fly home. I've never been on VIA and they use the old CN route, not quite as scenic as CP. I can't afford the Rocky Mountaineer special train. Glad I did it when it was affordable and still run by the two main RR's in Canada. Don;t know if there were any flights out of Chicago, we just flew direct from St. Lou with stop at Minneapolis.

I believe is from Chicago gto Winnepeg I believe a route that needs exploring is from Chicago to Winnipeg on CN lines through Wisconsin and up through Northern Minnesota. Think about it, we have only 4 rail passenger links across the entire border with Canada and once past lower Michigan the Next one is way out in NW Washington state. I think it would boost both Amtrak and Via in ridership. Jay J. Ruediger, Up North.

When friends and I rode CP from Winnepeg we flew there via Northwest Orient airlines, this was in 1974. Then took CP Canadian to Banff in old time Pullman berths with curtains made into a couch during day and stayed 5 days taking Grey Line tours to Lake louise and Icefields. On to Vancouver, going thru the Spiral Tunnels, ferry to Victoria Returned via CN Super Continental in a day-nighter car with nice reclining seats, it was upgrade from reg coach. Spent a couple of days at Jasper Park lodge and back to Winnepeg to fly home. I've never been on VIA and they use the old CN route, not quite as scenic as CP. I can't afford the Rocky Mountaineer special train. Glad I did it when it was affordable and still run by the two main RR's in Canada. Don;t know if there were any flights out of Chicago, we just flew direct from St. Lou with stop at Minneapolis.

A friend of mine will be doing the Rocky Mountaineer tour towards the end of this month. I will be interested in hearing his experiences.